NASA’s Tweets

Dec 23

We’ve had a busy year. 📆 From taking the first steps to return humanity to the Moon, to unfolding the universe with

@NASAWebb

, and successfully testing our asteroid defense capabilities—we’ve worked for the benefit of all: nasa.gov/2022

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What do your favorite Webb images of 2022 say about you? 1. Pick your favorite out of each set in this thread. 2. Keep track of your choices. 3. Find & share your result! Let’s get started ⬇️

$Image divided vertically into four equal parts with the words “What Do Your Favorite Webb Images of 2022 Say About You?” The first image, left, is the Southern Ring Nebula. The nebula is shown as a misshapen, cloudy teal oval with a bright white star at the center and a second near the edge with long diffraction spikes. The second image is of Stephan’s Quintet, a group of five pink galaxies, four appear to be touching. The third image is of the Carina Nebula. The upper part of the image is blueish, and has wispy translucent cloud-like streaks rising from the nebula below. There is an orangish cloudy formation in the bottom half. The last image is Webb’s deep field image. Thousands of galaxies appear across the image in different shapes and colors. Some are orange, others are white. Most stars appear blue, and are sometimes as large as more distant galaxies that appear next to them. A very bright star is just above and left of center. It has eight blue, long diffraction spikes.$

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What’s Up in January? 🔭 Throughout the month, a new comet may be seen gliding across the sky towards the northwest. Plus, the bright winter constellations are a nightly treat for stargazers. Lastly, expect the Wolf Moon on Jan. 6. Read the full guide: go.nasa.gov/37ePy0B

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Dec 29

We mark the passing of the legendary Pelé, known to many as the king of the "beautiful game." This image of a spiral galaxy in the constellation Sculptor shows the colors of Brazil.

Image of a spiral galaxy with spiral arms dotted with blue stars of varying intensity. The core of the galaxy is brightest and that's where the stars appear yellow-green. The image was taken by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer satellite, or GALEX. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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Happy (almost) New Year! Before we ring in 2023, we need your help choosing our Twitter audience’s favorite Hubble image released in 2022. Vote in the poll below, which features the images that got the most likes this year. Then we’ll post the winner on New Year’s Eve!

Taking up the central area of the image is the colorful supernova remnant DEM L 190, which is made of intricate tendrils of cosmic material glowing in shades of purple, yellow, orange, and blue. The edges of the image are black and scattered with red and purple-ish stars.

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A massive spiral galaxy called NGC 976 dominates the image. Its glowing yellow center is surrounded by spiral arms laced with dark dust and dotted with bright blue stars. Other distant stars and galaxies dot the black background of space.

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A group of five galaxies known as Hickson Compact Group 40 glow against the black backdrop of space. Three galaxies are spiral in shape, shining in white and orange hues and laced with dark dust. The other two are seen as bright points of pale light with glowing material surrounding them.

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A densely packed cluster of stars known as Terzan 2 shines in hues of orange, white, and blue.

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Is there life on Mars? We haven't discovered life on Mars, but we have found lots of evidence that it could have supported life in its past. There’s even a chance that Mars could be habitable under the surface.

@NASAAstrobio

expert Heather Graham explains. mars.nasa.gov

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Dec 27

Roll for initiative! This year, we partnered with industry, academia, and other government agencies in a series of 10 tabletop exercises to map out how electric air taxis will fit safely into the national airspace. Read about these expert-led discussions: go.nasa.gov/3jnz7Z8

An electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle flies in a designated lane (highlighted in blue) along a regional route in this render of potential Advanced Air Mobility operations. The vehicle, viewed face-on as it flies above the ground, has a white, rounded body and four black propellers.

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Dec 26

Still need a getaway? Over 5,000 planets have been discovered beyond our solar system. Stop by our

@NASAExoplanets

Travel Bureau for an interactive guided tour of some of the most exotic destinations in the galaxy (in English & en español): exoplanets.nasa.gov/travel

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Dec 25

Happy launchiversary,

@NASAWebb

! Our next-generation telescope blasted off on its mission to #UnfoldTheUniverse one year ago today—but the journey's only just begun: jwst.nasa.gov

Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket lifts off from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, with the James Webb Space Telescope inside. The Ariane 5 is barely visible at the top center of the photo against the bright flames of launch, with a column of smoke-like exhaust beneath it reaching down to the ground. Most of the photo's bottom half is taken up by a large body of water that the rocket launch is reflected in, with a row of tropical trees on the far shoreline. Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn

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$The background of space is black. Thousands of galaxies appear all across the view. Their shapes and colors vary. Some are various shades of orange, others are white. Most stars appear blue, and are sometimes as large as more distant galaxies that appear next to them. A very bright star is just above and left of center. It has eight bright blue, long diffraction spikes. Between 4 o’clock and 6 o’clock in its spikes are several very bright galaxies. A group of three are in the middle, and two are closer to 4 o’clock. These galaxies are part of the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723, and they are warping the appearances of galaxies seen around them. Long orange arcs appear at left and right toward the center.$

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$The image is divided horizontally by an undulating line between a cloudscape forming a nebula along the bottom portion and a comparatively clear upper portion. Speckled across both portions is a starfield, showing innumerable stars of many sizes. The smallest of these are small, distant, and faint points of light. The largest of these appear larger, closer, brighter, and more fully resolved with 8-point diffraction spikes. The upper portion of the image is blueish, and has wispy translucent cloud-like streaks rising from the nebula below. The orangish cloudy formation in the bottom half varies in density and ranges from translucent to opaque. The stars vary in color, the majority of which, have a blue or orange hue. The cloud-like structure of the nebula contains ridges, peaks, and valleys – an appearance very similar to a mountain range. Three long diffraction spikes from the top right edge of the image suggest the presence of a large star just out of view.$

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Dec 25

Wondering what astronauts do for the holidays? The Expedition 68 crew shares their plans aboard the

. Check out other ways we’ve celebrated in space: go.nasa.gov/3jvgFha

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"We came all this way to explore the Moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth" –Bill Anders, Apollo 8 astronaut "Earthrise," one of the most powerful photos in

’s history, was taken by Anders #OTD in 1968 as the Apollo 8 crew orbited the Moon.

The Earthrise photo taken by Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders shows the Moon's surface in the foreground with the Earth appearing above the horizon in the distance in the blackness of space. About 2/3 of the Earth is lit from by the Sun and you can see the ocean, clouds, and a continent on the lit portion.

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On Nov. 28, our Orion spacecraft captured the Earth rising behind the Moon. The #Artemis I flight test happened around 50 years after the iconic Apollo 17 "Blue Marble" photo of Earth was taken. See the similarities and differences between the two eras: go.nasa.gov/3WqB6us

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Dec 23

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. ❄️ Long before this week's snowy storms,

@NASA_Astronauts

have been capturing wintry scenes for years aboard the

: go.nasa.gov/3Vmp9or

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The South Island of New Zealand, as seen by the International Space Station from the north. Clouds cover most of the surrounding Pacific Ocean, with a rich blue sea occasionally peeking out from below. The South Island's Southern Alps stand out in rich detail, with snow covering their mountaintops and some of the foothills on the island's west side. Credit: NASA

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The Grand Canyon in winter, as seen from the International Space Station. The canyon's peaks and valleys, along with those of the adjoining Kaibab Plateau, are visible in the middle foreground, with snow covering the higher elevations. The deep chasm of the Colorado River winds away on the left side of the photo. Credit: NASA

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Lake Paiku, part of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, as seen from the International Space Station. The lake cuts through the photo from top-left to bottom-right, getting progressively more icy along the diagonal; the semi-frozen water creates eye-catching patterns in shades of white and blue. Snow dots the Himalayas on the top-right and bottom-left shores. Credit: NASA

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Currently, old satellites either burn up safely in the atmosphere or remain in space. But we're working on new technology that could refuel or upgrade satellites while in space, expanding their lifespans and making spaceflight more sustainable: go.nasa.gov/3WCtVir

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From launch to splashdown, see image highlights from our #Artemis I flight test around the Moon. The

@NASAArtemis

mission broke records, made history, and provided vital data for future crewed missions while getting some beautiful pictures along the way. bit.ly/artemisitumblr

The Space Launch System rocket can be seen launching off the pad at Kennedy Space Center against a dark sky. The glow of the ignition illuminates the launch site and lightning towers. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

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Upgrades people, upgrades! ⚡ In a spacewalk lasting 7 hours and 8 minutes,

@NASA_Astronauts

Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio successfully completed installation of the fourth of six new solar arrays to augment the

's power supply. go.nasa.gov/3VdeYSU

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A new solar array, just installed by astronauts Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio, is now being unrolled outside the

. This is the fourth of six new solar arrays planned for the station, which will increase its power generation capability by 30% once complete.

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LIVE: Listen as we discuss the ongoing investigation of an external leak that occurred on Dec. 14 from the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the

Soyuz Spacecraft Leak Investigation (Dec. 22, 2022)

youtube.com

NASA held a media teleconference at 11 a.m. EST Thursday, Dec. 22, to discuss the ongoing investigation of an external leak that occurred Dec. 14, from the R...

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Update: today's media event about the ongoing investigation of an external leak from the Soyuz spacecraft will start momentarily.

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We will host a media teleconference at 11am ET (1600 UTC) on Dec. 22 to discuss the ongoing investigation of an external leak from the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the International Space Station. go.nasa.gov/3jk9qc0

The Nauka multipurpose laboratory module, the Prichal docking module, and the Soyuz MS-22 crew ship are seen on the right of this image, their white exteriors in sharp contrast to the darkness of space. Earth, mostly covered with white clouds, dominates the rest of the photo. Credit: NASA

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Spacewalk happening now. Watch astronauts Frank Rubio (suit with red stripes) and Josh Cassada (unmarked suit) install new

roll-out solar arrays. The spacewalk is expected to last seven hours.

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LIVE:

Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio prepare for a spacewalk to install a new roll-out solar array outside the

Spacewalk at the Space Station to Install Solar Arrays

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It’s going to be a long night. In the Northern Hemisphere, that is. Tonight is the #WinterSolstice, which occurs when either of Earth's poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere. Learn more: go.nasa.gov/3vbLGJY

A black and white image taken with the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) on EUMETSAT's Meteosat-9 captured a view of Earth from geosynchronous orbit, and shows how sunlight fell on the Earth on Dec. 21, 2010.

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International Space Station

After more than four years, 1,300 marsquakes, and countless scientific discoveries, our

@NASAInSight

lander has reached the end of its mission. InSight may be retiring, but its legacy—and its findings from the deep interior of Mars—will live on: go.nasa.gov/3hND9cP

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NASA Retweeted

NASA Spacewalk Postponed Due to Debris Avoidance

Today’s spacewalk to install solar arrays has been postponed due to orbital debris tracking near the station. The crew is not in any immediate danger and a new date for the spacewalk will be assessed.

blogs.nasa.gov

While flight control teams were preparing for today's U.S. spacewalk, updated tracking data on a fragment of Russian Fregat-SB upper stage debris showed a close approach to station.

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LIVE: Tune in for an update on today's scheduled spacewalk outside the

NASA Astronauts Spacewalk Outside the International Space Station

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NASA's Johnson Space Center

Tomorrow,

aboard the

will conduct a spacewalk to install a rollout solar array to increase electrical power in support of operations and scientific research. The spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 7:45am ET.

nasa.gov

NASA to Air Live Coverage of US Spacewalk for Solar Array Installation

NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station will conduct a spacewalk on Wednesday, Dec. 21, to install a rollout solar array to increase electrical power in support of operations and...

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My power’s really low, so this may be the last image I can send. Don’t worry about me though: my time here has been both productive and serene. If I can keep talking to my mission team, I will – but I’ll be signing off here soon. Thanks for staying with me.

Wide-angle photo from NASA’s InSight lander on Mars shows the area in front of the lander in the late afternoon sun. Two science instruments tethered to the lander rest on the sandy surface nearby. Part of the lander’s robotic arm is visible extending down from the top left. Distortion from the wide-angle lens bends the distant horizon into a curved shape, while low-angle sunlight causes a small bluish lens flare on the right side.

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Dec 19

Apollo 17, the most recent mission to land on the Moon, splashed down in the Pacific Ocean today (Dec. 19) in 1972. What we learned from Apollo is preparing us for

@NASAArtemis

missions, which will return humanity to the lunar surface. go.nasa.gov/3BNkXHe

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Dec 18

Space news, delivered. 📩 Get weekly updates on Earth, the solar system, and beyond — all sent right to your inbox: nasa.gov/subscribe In Spanish from

@NASA_es

: nasa.gov/suscribete

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Dec 17

How does NASA celebrate the holidays?

@NASA_Astronauts

and our space storytellers share the details in a special episode of our Curious Universe podcast: go.nasa.gov/3YAjyNR

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National Space Council Chair

@VP

has announced the candidates selected to serve on the council's Users Advisory Group (UAG). Representing an array of aerospace-related companies & organizations, the UAG will help enable and propel the nation's space goals: bit.ly/3V5fGS3

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The newest Earth science satellite lifted off Dec. 16 atop a

@SpaceX

Falcon 9 rocket. Led by NASA and

@CNES

, the #SWOTMission is the first to help scientists track changes in nearly all of Earth’s surface water. go.nasa.gov/3Vj8t17

Pre-dawn launch of Falcon 9 rocket. It has already cleared the pad in this image and a column of propulsion stems below the rocket. It illuminates the cloudy exhaust.

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Liftoff!

Falcon 9 rocket launches with the

@CNES

SWOT spacecraft onboard. see more 📸 flic.kr/s/aHBqjAj2SK

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The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite has separated from its

@SpaceX

Falcon 9 rocket. SWOT begins #TrackingWorldWater now and will cover the Earth's surface worldwide at least twice every 21 days for at least three years.

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Like water vapor, SWOT rises. SWOT lifted off at 6:46am ET (11:46 UTC). It’s the first satellite mission that will observe nearly all water on Earth’s surface, #TrackingWorldWater to help us better understand this essential resource.

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LIVE: We’re ready to start #TrackingWorldWater with the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite. Liftoff is scheduled for 6:46am ET (1146 UTC) from

@SLDelta30

in California.

Launch of SWOT Water Surveying Satellite

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International Space Station

Dec 15

Our #JunoMission is turning its gaze to Jupiter’s volcanic moon, Io. Juno is expected to complete nine flybys of the Jovian moon, observing how volcanoes interact with Jupiter's aurorae and magnetosphere. go.nasa.gov/3FVXRR0

Cyclone storms on Jupiter swirl in blue, grey, tan, and white. Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS Image processing: Navaneeth Krishnan S CC BY 3.0

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NASA Retweeted

NASA Provides Update on International Space Station Operations

Dec 15

Mission controllers are closely monitoring the Soyuz MS-22 crew ship after an external leak was detected Wednesday night. Meanwhile,

@ISS_Research

operations and spacewalk preps continue aboard the station.

blogs.nasa.gov

On Wednesday, Dec. 14, an external leak was detected from the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft docked to the Rassvet module on the International Space Station.

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Dec 15

We're now targeting no earlier than 6:46am ET (1146 UTC) on Friday, Dec. 16, for launch of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission. The satellite is healthy & the forecast remains favorable for liftoff on Friday morning. Follow blogs.nasa.gov/swot/ for mission updates.

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